Reflection of class on 11/11/09

Wednesday's class brought up and examined how the social aspects of our culture have direct and indirect effects on the environment. I personally feel and have expressed in my blog and a little bit in class that these social drive the harm we are doing to the planet at the same time drive how we fix these problems. I was glad to see this finally brought to the forefront of the discussion. As was discussed the way our current economy is set up we have an imbalance in the distribution of wealth. Currently only the very well off can afford the organic foods and products. We also discussed that while one set of people in an certain economic standing prevent people of lower economic standing from being able to have certain things. This as well as other issues where touched upon. As I have stated before until we fix our social imbalances it will be very difficult to put a dent into our environmental issues.
A problem I feel is that hurts all causes is lack of general knowledge of things. We discussed that the products we feed the animals we are eating are making us more feminine, I asked then way is it that the average size man is so much larger than say 35 to 50 years ago. After I asked this I heard a lot of little whispers Steroids Steroids, one young man said it aloud. Not to single out anyone but this is exactly what I am talking about. I am almost sure no one in the class has done an research or has any knowledge or expert experience with anabolic steroids. BUT we all read the news on the Internet, watch sports center, TV, listen to radio and know about the baseball issue with steroid use. That's the problem, the media is too influential on society. We take their word at face value but yet we don't research the information to see how valid the information is. Its truly garbage in garbage out. With all the miss information being put out there about steroids, makes me wonder if the same is happening with information on fossil fuel consumption and there effects? The media is a key factor in the social problems we face which in turn have negative effect on all other aspects of life including conservation of the environment and its resources.